Mystery solved! Girl from 1800s found in casket in backyard of San Francisco home identified

A child found in a backyard in San Francisco last year from the 1800s has finally been identified.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- After nearly a year of detective work, researchers have identified the young girl in a casket that was discovered in the backyard of a San Francisco home in May 2016.

RELATED: SF couple says they heard footsteps of little girl before coffin discovery

A contractor doing remodeling work uncovered the casket while excavating part of the back yard. The casket was made of metal with two viewing windows in the lid. It was tightly sealed, thus preserving the body of the girl, according to officials.
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Researchers identified her as Edith Howard Cook, the daughter of Horatio Nelson and Edith Scooffy Cook. She died on October 13, 1876, at 2 years old.

Peter Cook, who was identified as a direct descendant of the Cook and Scooffy families, provided a DNA sample. The analysis was the final step in solving the mystery of the young girl, who was nicknamed "Miranda Eve."

PHOTOS: 2-year-old from 1800s found in casket behind San Francisco home

Researchers have identified the young girl discovered in a casket in the backyard of a San Francisco residence in May of 2016.none

Ericka Carner points to the spot where the casket containing two-year-old Edith Howard Cook was found.none

This is what Odd Fellows Cemetery used to look like in the 1800s. When crews removed bodies back in the 1930s, they made the mistake of leaving Edith Howard Cook behind.none

This is what the site of the Odd Fellows Cemetery looks like now -- a soccer field and street, Rossi Avenue in San Francisco.none

Garden of Innocence National, which provides dignified burials for abandoned children, gave Cook the name Miranda Eve. This is a photo of her gravesite.none

John and Ericka Karner say they heard footsteps in their home before the little girl's coffin was removed. Now they hear nothing at all.none

Elissa Davey appears near the grave of two-year-old Edith Howard Cook in Colma, Calif. on Tuesday, May 9, 2017.none

She was buried in the family plot in the Yerba Buena section of Odd Fellows Cemetery, which later became the site of residences in San Francisco's Lone Mountain neighborhood. The cemetery accepted burials until about 1902. All of the remains were exhumed and transferred to Greenlawn Cemetery in Colma but for unknown causes, the body of Edith was left behind.
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Funeral home records indicate the cause of death was "marasmus," a term used in the 1800s for severe undernourishment, which could have had a number of underlying causes. Researchers say given what is known today about 1800s urban living, an infectious disease is the most likely cause of her marasmus.

Click here for the full release with more information on the young girl in the casket.